Birthday Parties Attract Record Crowds To Charlotte Motor Speedway's Food Lion Autofair
16 September 1997
Birthday Parties Attract Record Crowds To Charlotte Motor Speedway's Food Lion Autofair
CONCORD, N.C., Sept. 16 -- One hundred years of Oldsmobiles,
fifty years of Ferrari and thirty years of Pontiac's Firebird represented
premiere attractions of the Food Lion AutoFair at Speedway Motorsports'
Charlotte Motor Speedway Sept. 11 - 14.
It was on Aug. 21, 1897 that Ransom E. Olds organized the Olds Motor
Vehicle Company in Lansing, Mich., with the introduction of America's first
quantity-produced automobile, the Curved Dash Olds. During AutoFair,
spectators were exposed to one example of each decade of the marque's
existence, from an '02 Curved Dash to a '98 Intrigue.
Fifty years of Ferrari's were represented by way of a special exhibit of
models from each decade. It was in 1947 that former Alfa Romeo test
driver/racer Enzo Ferrari first turned out a couple of handbuilt race cars
powered by small-displacement V-12's. Known as "Tipo 125C," the car was the
first to carry his name and the now-famous "prancing horse" badge.
General Motors' Pontiac Firebird turns 30 this year. Each generation of
the Firebird was displayed at the Food Lion AutoFair.
The centerpiece of the AutoFair was two one-of-a-kind '50's dream cars
from General Motors -- the 1957 Firebird II and 1958 Firebird III. Both of
these were engineering exercises General Motors built to test the real-world
application of gas turbine engines in passenger cars. Firebird II is a four-
seat design with a clear bubble-type roof and Buck Rogers styling. Firebird
III is a two-seater whose rocket-like design and innovative features were many
decades ahead of their time.
Also on tap for the birthday celebrations were a super-low, ultra-wide '57
Chevy convertible powered by a modern Corvette V-8 with 'Vette suspension
pieces all around, by Boyd Coddington, the California based car customizer
whose portfolio includes CadZilla and CheZoom. International Harvester held
its regional meet with several truck clubs bringing out their slammed minis
and towering 4x4's for display. The Legends cars raced on Saturday night
under the lights on the 1/5-mile "Outback Speedway," and Sunday's activities
were highlighted by Harley Sunday.
"It's events like these that enable Speedway Motorsports to maintain its
leadership position in motorsports entertainment," stated H.A. Wheeler,
president and chief operating officer of Speedway Motorsports. "We are
constantly seeking revenue generating activities for our facilities."
Speedway Motorsports, Inc. , the owner and operator of
Atlanta, Bristol, Charlotte, & Texas Motor Speedways and 600 Racing and the
operator of Sears Point Raceway, is a leading marketer and promoter of
motorsports entertainment in the United States.
SOURCE Speedway Motorsports, Inc.
